5 Simple Systems to Help Reach Your Goals

As we move away from summer vacation and everyone buckles down into back-to-school routines, it’s a great time to refocus your goals and create a plan to stay true to your priorities.

We all have big dreams and long to-do lists but why is it that some people are so good at actually accomplishing things, while others constantly feel like they’re struggling to catch up?

The answer lies in developing a unique organizational system that works for you!

Just like there is no one way of eating that works for everyone – there is no one way of getting organized that works for everyone either.

The important thing is to get clear on what you want, set the intention to reach those goals, try out different methods, and then stick with the one that best fits your schedule and circumstances.

To help you get started, I’ve outlined a few simple strategies that may serve as a good foundation for your system, try them on and see what fits YOU.

1. Big Rocks Inspired by Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Integrative Nutrition founder Joshua Rosenthal teaches future Health Coaches one especially powerful tool called “Big Rocks.” Here’s the gist: get clear on your “big 3” goals, focus your time and energy each week on tasks in service of those goals and de-prioritize the day-to-day little tasks that aren’t serving you. Curious to learn more about how it works? Download this handy PDF guide here for more details!

2. Bullet Journal A to-do list, diary, and planner in one, “Bullet Journaling” is taking the world by storm. Developed by Ryder Carroll, the Bullet Journal is referred to as the “analog system for the digital age.” This system of organization is the perfect fit for those who love handwriting in their planner and keeping everything in one place. Bullet Journals are incredibly flexible and customizable since all you need to get started is a blank notebook and pen. From there you can build out your goals, future plans, and tasks for the rest of the year in a simple bulleted fashion.

3. Vision Board For those who are more artistically inclined, creating a vision board as a way to focus on the things you want to achieve can help improve motivation, boost self-confidence, and foster behaviors that lead to success. It’s simply a visual representation of your goals: images that represent all the things you’d like to accomplish in your life—who, what, and where you want to be. The power of this technique comes from the fact that it allows you to spend time getting clear on your dreams, hopes, and vision for your future. There are no hard rules when it comes to making a vision board—just have fun with it! Don’t have the wall space for a big corkboard? Create a digital vision board using Pinterest!

4. Digital Calendars and Productivity AppsFrom phone calls, to texting, to online shopping and social media we use our phones for everything. Why not keep your goals readily accessible and always visible by tracking them on your phone! Whether you use a formal habit tracker like Productive or Strides, or simply keep a running list of notes on your phone – leveraging the power of your smartphone to get clear and stay on track is a great way to make your goals attainable with just one click.

5. Morning Pages Julia Cameron encourages everyone to handwrite morning pages – three pages of free-flow stream of consciousness first thing in the morning. They will help you get ready for your day by getting all your thoughts on paper and put you in touch with your subconscious feelings so they can inform you on how to prioritize your day leaving your mind free and clear to focus on your goals.